KINGSTON, N.Y. — Aldermen have agreed to move forward with the creation of an advisory group that could provide input on the local impacts of the state legalizing marijuana.
During a meeting Tuesday, the Common Council voted 7-0 to adopt a resolution authorizing the creation of a nine-member Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act task force. The task force would help guide the city in its limited authority regarding the time, place, and manner of retail cannabis operations, according to provided information. The group would also amplify community voices regarding enforcement concerns and goals for how revenues from the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act could be reinvested to achieve the law’s social equity objectives.
The task force is to meet periodically over the course of a year, though its term of service could be extended.
Alderman Reynolds Scott-Childress, D-Ward 3, and Alderwoman Naimah Muhammad, D-Ward 5, were absent from the meeting.
Majority Leader Rita Worthington, D-Ward 4, said the task force would consist of nine community members with significant ties to the city of Kingston. She said six of the members would be appointed by the council, while the other three would be appointed by the mayor. Members would be chosen after they fill out an application, which would be posted on the city’s website, Worthington said.
The task force would gather input from the community with regard to the state’s ongoing development of regulations, creation of new business opportunities, and revisiting of long-standing law enforcement policies regarding marijuana, Worthington said.
“And so I think this is very important,” Worthington said. “I’m glad that the city is taking proactive measures to tackle some of these issues that possibly can come up with this.”
The state legalized the recreational use of marijuana in March 2021 and gave cities and towns across the state until Dec. 31 of that year to opt out of allowing pot shops and/or lounges. But while municipalities could ban sales and on-site consumption within their borders, they could not prohibit businesses that cultivate, process, or transport cannabis.
The city did not opt out of allowing licensing for local dispensaries and on-site consumption of cannabis within the municipality limits.
